Many Times, Have I Been Down The Road Less Traveled
by thewriterside

Comment by prbetts:
Is this really the best you have for the year

Many Times, Have I Been Down The Road Less Traveled
by thewriterside

Comment by bongo:
Composition on this is awesome. Colour on left balanced by the car on the right...
very very cool.

Many Times, Have I Been Down The Road Less Traveled
by thewriterside

Comment by marbo:
Different, looks like an advert for a car.

Many Times, Have I Been Down The Road Less Traveled
by thewriterside

Comment by mffnqueen:
good use of selective desat

Truth In Light
by thewriterside

Comment by jduffett:

Originally posted by thewriterside: To all of you with similar comments, I want to refer back to DPChallenge's definition of "mechanical," which was something along the lines of "Something that doesn't require electricity as means of operation..." Yes, to me "mechanical" is not a candle. I based it on DPChallenges definition, and wanted to be unique. I was under the impression that a concept of any art is to think outside of the box and express the rules in a new way- in your own way. I'm having trouble understanding why so many of you found this unacceptable. Maybe it's because this was the first challenege I participated in?

I don't take that as a definition of mechanical, I take it as a restriction on mechanical. Some of us even distinguish between electronic and electrical, thus there are many items that do rely on electricity that do fit the challenge. Since this is kind of a grey area for many people though, especially for those without much of a technical background, it is a good idea to avoid electricity altogether in order to avoid "doesn't meet challenge" type comments. My point is, yes, there are certainly different interpretations of the challenge, but put yourself in the voters' shoes, and think to yourself, "Does this photo say 'Mechanical!' to me?" If the answer is no, then you might want to rethink your submission. In terms of thinking outside the box, that's fine, but if the end result doesn't embody the essence of the challenge, you'll take a hit in voting, even if it is technically a good photo.

Message edited by author 2005-01-13 21:13:49.

In the Heat of the Night
by thewriterside

Comment by Bran-O-Rama:
Image lacking highlights. Image containing mostly shadows and dark middletones makes for a flat image that's hard to see.

Heaven take 1
by thewriterside

Comment by cghubbell:
Your stated goal: "My goal was to detail the magnificence of the sky, using the lamp post to set the scale. My goal in posting was to get suggestions on what would allow me to fully achieve that goal, and to see if a shot like that would have mass appeal."

In this image the focus is sharply on the lamp post with blurring of the clouds. As you did not post atechnical information it's hard to know what you were working with, but as a guess I'm thinking you would better achieve your goal with a deeper depth of field; perhaps you could use a aperture priority setting to get to f/16?

It's also interesting that you wanted to set the scale with the lamp post. By using a wide-angle up close you emphasize the post dramatically. in this case, unless your goal was to create a surreal effect of a larger than life post, it may not have been the desired outcome.

As far as the sky's magnificence, I think your use of negative space does create a strong presence. With some curves work you could probably bring out more drama in the tonality of those clouds, adding contrast and interest.

I'm not sure this would be a mass appeal image in a challenge, although it would score as a technically sound image (which is definitely is). For some reason I feel that you'd boost its appeal with a duotone (b/w or sepia) treatment. I don't think color adds to this image, and sometimes simplifying can make a difference.

Hope this was helpful... Thanks for sharing.

In the Heat of the Night
by thewriterside

Comment by erusan:
I guess someone exhausted him/herself... Nice point of view and composition. the sheets could have been white as the stripes distract me a bit

Truth In Light
by thewriterside

Comment by thewriterside:

Originally posted by jduffett: Am I missing something? I'm a mechanical engineer--if there is something mechanical in this photo you'd hope I'd be able to pick it out... I don't see it here, sorry...

To all of you with similar comments, I want to refer back to DPChallenge's definition of "mechanical," which was something along the lines of "Something that doesn't require electricity as means of operation..." Yes, to me "mechanical" is not a candle. I based it on DPChallenges definition, and wanted to be unique. I was under the impression that a concept of any art is to think outside of the box and express the rules in a new way- in your own way. I'm having trouble understanding why so many of you found this unacceptable. Maybe it's because this was the first challenege I participated in?

Truth In Light
by thewriterside

Comment by Gatorguy:
Is light considered mechanical?